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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. chest — of your body
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. game — wild animals
  9. chest — of your body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tube — the underground
  12. chest — a box
  13. charge — a price
  14. tube — a container
  15. charge — in control
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com